The First Day of April
by Zaralecki
Summary: Response to the 'Robin Challenge.' Robin decides to spend the anniversary of his family's death at Mount Justice, to try something new. A lot of Robin/team-bonding ensues! NO SLASH, LONG AND LOTS AND LOTS OF FLUFF! The cover is NOT mine! It's by Jalonzo1610.  Please R&R.


**AN: **

**Hey everyone! Really sorry that this isn't an update for Sacrifice or the Tenacious Trio, but I have been, like, craving for a cute hurt /comfort story between the team and our Boy Wonder ;). I even PM-ed a bunch of writers asking for one, so I figured I'd write one myself too. **

**This is REALLY slow-moving but I just wanted to see Wally, or anyone, really, comforting Robin ever since seeing episode 24, Performance, in Portuguese :o. I feel terrible that I watched it but I couldn't resist. I have no idea where Zatanna is in this story, I just couldn't fit her in. I also know that the team hasn't been a team for this long yet, but…IDK…this also takes place before Wally's birthday, so it really does not make sense. Pfff, whatever ;)**

****&^%%$#!SIX MORE DAYS UNTIL PERFROMANCE COMES OUT IN ENGLISH! AHHHHH!&*(&(*%^$^%$&**

**According to Greg Weisman, Robin's parents, aunt, and cousin were killed on April 1****st****. His uncle is in a comatose state. :'( Ironically, I posted this on April 1! I didn't even mean to; I happened to finish it today.**

**Well, I hope you guys enjoy this! I might add a very similar chapter to the Tenacious Trio, but I'd add Roy into the mix if I did.**

**Also, I might repost this later as a chapter story since it's a pretty loooonnng one-shot.**

**Sorry if some characters are OOC :\**

**Even though I know that this is rather boring, please please PLEASE review!**

**~Zara**

**Warnings: none, just fluff. And I mean lots of it.**

* * *

><p>Robin was acting gloomy.<p>

Until now, his team would have said that it was impossible for their little bird to be sad. He was always giggling, joking, and just being _happy_. Until today.

What made it even weirder for his team to see Robin sad was that it was the day before April first. April Fool's Day. They had expected their "baby brother" to be scheming pranks with Wally, his partner in crime. Instead, they had entered the rec room that morning to see Robin on the leather couch in his uniform, despite the fact that they had not been given a mission. His legs were propped up on the coffee table in front of him and he was tapping away on one of his numerous laptops.

Besides Robin, Aqualad was the first to rise from bed, at around dawn. He was clad in his usual civvies: a teal turtleneck and black pants. His skin was still slightly wet from his usual morning swim. He had been slightly surprised last night when Robin had informed them that he would be staying at the cave overnight: the Boy Wonder usually did not stay at the cave, unless, of course, they were being deployed on a mission.

"Good morning, Robin," Kaldur greeted him, smiling on his way to the kitchen.

"Morning, Kal," Robin mumbled back, not looking up from whatever he was working on. Aqualad did not miss the dejected tone of Robin's voice.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, concerned. He paused to look at Robin's face.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a bit tired," Robin said quietly. He still didn't look up as he spoke.

Kaldur dropped the subject.

* * *

><p>Aqualad decided to go to Atlantis for a short visit; he hadn't seen Tula or Garth for a while and he had unusual leisure time. He got ready to leave at around eight o'clock. By that time, M'gann and Conner were getting up as well.<p>

Kaldur passed his teammates on his way to the zeta tubes. The two were also dressed in civilian garb: Miss Martian in a pink sweater over a white shirt and skirt and Conner in his regular Superman t-shirt and jeans.

"Morning, Kaldur!" M'gann said cheerfully, Conner behind her.

"Good morning to both of you," Kaldur said, nodding to Conner.

"You going somewhere?" Conner asked, seeing their leader now dressed in his Aqualad uniform.

"Yes, I am off to Atlantis. I should be back sometime in the afternoon," Kaldur said. He gave the Martian and Kryptonian a small wave and, with a quick glance at the raven-haired boy who was still on the couch, stepped into the teleportation tubes.

M'gann floated over into the kitchen, getting ready to make breakfast for herself and her friends. Conner followed. Despite his super hearing, it was only then that he heard the sound of typing. He craned his head to look over the back of the sofa from his position next to the stove.

"Is that you, Robin?" he called.

Robin jumped and M'gann knew right then that something was wrong. Robin, the protégé of Batman, taken by surprise?

"Yeah, it's me, Supey," Robin said, continuing his typing.

M'gann frowned slightly, her brow furrowing. "Did you already eat? I could make you something for breakfast," she offered kindly.

Robin shook his head, sighing.

M'gann looked at Conner, who shrugged. She cast another look at the Boy Wonder. He didn't seem to notice.

She decided that Robin was just tired and turned to make breakfast.

* * *

><p>Artemis and Wally both woke up at the same time, at around ten o'clock.<p>

While Wally did not usually stay at the cave either, his parents were out of town, so he decided to join his team at the cave. Artemis just wanted to get away from Gotham for a while.

The two entered the rec room, also clad in civvies: Artemis in a dark pair of skinny jeans, cropped green tank top, and brown jacket and Wally in his usual baggy jeans and button-down shirt open over a blue shirt.

To no one's surprise, they were bickering as they made their way into the kitchen.

"I did _not_ use all the hot water, Baywatch!" Artemis was saying angrily.

"Suuuureee," Wally shot back sarcastically. He zoomed into the kitchen just as the archer was about to smack him across the back of his head.

"Hello, Green Cheeks!" he said, winking at the red-headed girl. She and Conner were sitting at the island, eating the French toast she had made.

"Hey, Wally! Hello, Artemis!" M'gann said happily. Conner nodded his hello and stood up, bringing his empty plate to the sink.

"Rob not up yet?" Wally asked, putting five pieces of French toast on his waiting plate and drenching them with syrup.

"I'm right here, Wally."

Wally let out a high-pitched shriek and dropped the bottle of syrup, looking wildly over his shoulder. Artemis snickered and caught the bottle on the way down, using it before Wally could finish it.

"Where's 'here', dude?" Wally asked, still looking for his best friend.

"Try the couch, Kid Idiot," Artemis said, sitting down next to M'gann.

"Oh," said Wally. He ran over to the couch and saw Robin typing on his computer, his face neutral.

Wally frowned; it was unusual for his buddy to be so quiet. Then it hit him.

"Hey, Rob," he whispered, making sure Superboy wasn't around. He slowly sat down next to Robin, who did not look at him. "Tomorrow's- tomorrow is the day, isn't it?"

Robin stiffened and his typing ceased for the first time that morning. His breath hitched and he was afraid that he would lost it right there.

Wally heard Robin's sharp intake of air and cursed himself for not remembering earlier; yes, tomorrow was April first. But it was in no way a humorous day for Robin.

Tomorrow was the day that marked when Robin-Dick-lost his family. His parents, cousin, aunt, and nearly his uncle.

Wally glanced over his shoulder to see if the two girls were listening in or not. When he saw that they were not, he turned back to the Boy Wonder.

"Are-are you okay?" he asked gently, placing a hand on Robin's arm.

"I'm fine, Wally," Robin said, and his voice decided then to crack. He swallowed and shut his laptop. He was about to get up when Wally spoke again.

"Where's Bru-uh, you-know-who?" he asked, catching himself.

"At the manor. I- I just thought I'd try something different this year, to see if it helps or not," Robin mumbled. He stood up and stretched as Wally got off the sofa too.

"You sure you're okay, Rob?" Wally asked again, worried.

Robin hesitated before speaking. "I-yeah. Thanks, Wally." And with that, he left for his rarely-used room, laptop tucked under his right arm.

Wally watched the thirteen year-old for a second, his heart heavy. His best friend was sad and he could not do anything about it. He remembered when Robin had first told him his secret identity. The eleven year-old had sobbed for what seemed like hours in Wally's arms. Though he had been only thirteen at the time, Wally had never felt so useless as he held his best friend.

Wally jerked out of his thoughts as Artemis called his name.

"_Wally!_" she said, annoyed.

"What?" he snapped back, going back to his plate of food.

"I said, is Robin okay? He seems quiet," said Artemis, casting a look in the direction of where Robin's room was.

"Yeah, I noticed that too. Is there something wrong?" M'gann piped up, looking worried.

"Uh…" Wally said, unsure as to how to reply. He couldn't just give away Robin's ID. "No, he's just-just tired. Must've had a long night in Gotham or something."

"Wally," Artemis said slowly. "He wasn't _in_ Gotham last night, remember? He spent the night here."

Wally blushed. "Well-I don't know!" he spluttered. He started to shovel food into his mouth, hoping the girls would get the hint and change subjects.

They did.

* * *

><p>Kaldur returned around two o'clock, like he said he would.<p>

The team, minus Robin, heard the computerized voice announce Aqualad's return. They were all sitting in the recreation room. Wally was perched on the couch, trying to teach Conner how to use the Wii. M'gann was massaging Wolf, giggling as the large white canine whined with pleasure. Artemis was sitting on the armchair, reading.

"Hello, everyone," Kaldur greeted, smiling at his team.

"Nooo, Supey!" Wally cried, exasperated. "You broke another remote!"

M'gann laughed at her boyfriend's antics and Artemis rolled her eyes. It was then Kaldur realized that their little bird wasn't there.

"Did Robin return to Gotham?" he asked curiously.

"Nah, I think he's lying down; he said he was tired this morning," Wally said a little too quickly, grabbing yet another spare Wii remote.

Kaldur frowned. "Has anyone else noticed that he has seemed- down, lately?" he asked.

"Yes," M'gann said, pouting a bit. "I hope he's alright."

"We should check on him, don't you think?" Artemis asked, looking up from her book.

"Yeah, we should, I'll do it!" Wally said, standing up, but Kaldur interjected.

"It is alright, I will do it," he reassured the speedster. "I was going to my room anyway."

"Uh-I mean, ok, sure," Wally stammered.

Kaldur gave him a suspicious look as he left the rec room.

* * *

><p>Kaldur'ahm stopped outside of Robin's bedroom. He paused, listening to see if Robin was awake or not. When he heard nothing, he took a deep breath and spoke.<p>

"Robin? It is Kaldur," he called, loud enough to be heard through the metal doors in front of him.

He waited a moment, but there was no reply. Assuming Robin was indeed asleep, he stepped directly in front of the doors. They slid open.

Robin's room was extremely tidy, seeing as he barely ever used it. The walls were a crème color and bore no posters or any décor like the others' rooms. There was a wooden desk pushed against the wall farthest from the door. On it rested a few books and a closed laptop. The boy's uniform was neatly folded on the seat of the chair that went with the desk. The window above the desk had its blinds closed, only letting a few rays of sunshine into the dark room.

Kaldur stepped into the room, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.

"Robin?" he said again, softer this time. His eyes traveled over the full sized bed that was in the corner of the room. He saw the small lump curled underneath the red comforter that was Robin.

Kaldur paused again, debating on investigating further or letting Robin be. He was about to back out of the room when he heard Robin sniffle. He took a step closer to the bed, alarmed.

"Robin? Are you alright, my friend?" he asked, reaching out to touch Robin.

But before he could do so, Robin stirred.

"Kal?" he murmured sleepily. "Something wrong?"

Kaldur cleared his throat. "No, Robin. We merely noticed that you seemed-off, lately, and wondered if you were alright."

Robin sat up, pushing the comforter away. He had changed into a fitting dark blue thermal top and a pair of gray sweatpants, but had kept his mask on. It was too dark for Kaldur to see Robin's face clearly.

"Thanks, but I'm alright. Not asterous, but alright. I just feel kinda sick," he said quietly, not looking directly at the Atlantian.

Kaldur frowned and moved closer to the bed, his 'big brother' instincts kicking in. "Do you have a fever?" he asked, reaching out to feel Robin's forehead.

Robin moved backwards quickly, his back hitting the headboard of his bed. "N-no, I'm okay, Kaldur. Please-I-I'm just tired," he said wearily.

Kaldur's frown deepened. Something was obviously wrong, but he was not one to pry. They all knew Robin had his secrets, and they had no wish to intrude.

"Well…Even if you are quite certain you are fine, perhaps you should rest. We shall inform you if we receive any missions," he said, walking back to the door.

Robin nodded, lying back down. "Thanks, Kaldur. I'll do that," he said softly.

Kaldur offered him a small smile and departed, the doors shutting behind him.

After the team's leader left, Robin sat up again, wiping the many tears off of his face. He had not been sleeping and certainly was not going to now.

* * *

><p>"Robin okay?" asked Superboy once Kaldur joined them in the rec room.<p>

"He said he feels ill. I requested that he rest for a while," Kaldur replied, sitting down on the couch next to Wally, who stiffened.

"Well, what do you all want to do?" M'gann asked, breaking the short silence that followed Kaldur's words. "We could watch a movie! We missed last week's movie night, remember? We were all too busy."

"Yeah, that sounds good!" Wally said, perking up. "What do you guys wanna watch?"

"I'm in the mood for a _magic_ film," Artemis said, casting a pointed look at Wally. "Harry Potter sound good to you all?"

Wally moaned as M'gann squealed, nodding. Conner shrugged and settled back into the couch.

Artemis got up and rifled through the DVD cabinet that stood next to the flat screen television in the front of the room. She extracted _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince _from its case and popped it into the state-of-the-art DVD player. Kaldur turned the TV on as Artemis turned off the lights and sat back down on the armchair.

The movie started and they all watched in silence for a few moments. Then, Wally stood.

"Anyone want snacks?" he asked. Artemis and Conner grunted in response and Wally took that as 'yes.'

He zoomed into the kitchen and gathered up a few sodas from the refrigerator and a bag of potato chips from the pantry. He placed a bag of popcorn in the microwave as he gathered a few bowls. When the popcorn was done, he divided it among three bowls. He brought all the supplies into the rec room in two trips. He handed everyone a soda and set the bag of chips on the coffee table. He gave one bowl of popcorn to the two males and the other to the two females, keeping one whole one for himself.

Artemis rolled her eyes and turned back to the movie as the others thanked Wally.

The speedster didn't sit back down, though. He hovered behind the couch.

"I'm gonna go see if Rob's hungry, I don't think he had breakfast this morning," he said, slowly backing towards the direction of the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

"Please, Wally, he is resting. I'm sure that he will eat when-" Kaldur started, but the junior speedster had already ran off with a gust of wind. Kaldur sighed and turned back to the screen.

* * *

><p>Wally skidded to a halt in front of Robin's door, still holding the bowl of popcorn. He felt anxious for his best friend; he knew that Robin was used to having Bruce there for company on the anniversary, but now, he didn't.<p>

He would be in there with Robin right now, comforting him, but with the others here, he couldn't do that without raising suspicion.

Wally sighed, sympathy for his best friend rising even higher as he tried to imagine what life would be like without his own family. He shuddered and then cleared his throat.

"Rob? You asleep, buddy?" he said, pressing an ear against the cool metal of the doors in front of him.

Robin did not reply, so Wally stepped in front of the automatic doors, in the same manner that Kaldur had that morning.

Wally zipped through the doors and waited until they shut before activating the lock pad on the inside of the room. He checked to make sure the lock was working before looking around the room.

Robin was curled under the covers again but Wally knew that he was not asleep. The boy was always plagued by nightmares around this time of year; he slept as little as possible.

Wally took slow, cautious steps towards the bed, most unlike the speedster that he was.

"Robin?" he asked again, gently. He gingerly sat down next to the little bird on the bed, who had his back to him. "C'mon, dude. Say something. Kaldur said you weren't feeling good."

Robin rolled over to face Wally and Wally felt his heart break a little.

Robin had his mask off, showing his sapphire eyes. But they were tear-filled and dark with pain, a pain that few people could understand. The tan skin of his face was covered in tear-tracks. He sat up slowly and Wally saw that his shoulders were shaking ever so slightly.

Wally could not hold back any longer. He leaned over and pulled his 'little brother' into a hug, pressing the younger boy's head into his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Dickie," he whispered to the shaking boy in his arms. "I'm so, so sorry."

Robin let out a small sob and Wally hugged him even tighter, rubbing his back soothingly.

The two teens stayed like that for a few minutes until the younger pulled away, sniffling and wiping at his eyes.

"Thanks, Wally," said Robin quietly, pulling his domino mask out of the pocket of his sweatpants and putting it back on.

Wally stood up and tousled Robin's black hair gently.

"No prob, Rob," he grinned, stretching. "You up for watching a movie? Arty chose Harry Potter," he said, making a face.

Robin smiled slightly and Wally knew he would be okay.

"Sure," he said, letting Wally pull him to his feet.

The two made their way into the rec room.

"Look whose ready to join the magic fest!" Wally said excitedly, a hand on Robin's shoulder.

* * *

><p>Nothing eventful happened during the movie. M'gann and Artemis giggled with delight when Ginny Weasley finally kissed Harry. The Martian saddened when Harry was forced to feed his headmaster a pain-inducing potion. Wally got up twice to refill his bowl of popcorn and had three more sodas.<p>

By the time that Harry and Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts, Kaldur and Artemis were dozing. Conner looked uninterested and M'gann was the only one who looked to be into the movie.

Then, Dumbledore fell from the Astronomy tower.

Wally swallowed slowly. He had never seen this movie and therefore had no idea that Dumbledore fell to his death. He automatically looked at Robin, who was sitting right next to him on the ground in front of the sofa on which Conner and Kaldur sat.

The Boy Wonder had his fists clenched tightly in his lap, his knees bent and drawn into his chest. The white eyeholes of his mask were wide and his breath was coming in pants. His small stature shook ever so slightly as he started at the screen, unable to look away.

_He watched as his aunt jumped off of the platform besides him to join his uncle, cousin, mother, and father. Her brown hair flew as his father caught her. The crowd cheered as the five people balanced on one trapeze bar. He stood up, getting ready to congratulate his family on yet another successful finale when he heard an odd snapping sound. He glanced up to see that the wires that supported the trapeze bar were falling apart, one strand at a time. _

_His mouth opened to scream a warning to his family, but it was no use. As his family swung back towards him, the wires gave away completely._

_His entire family fell._

_Down,_

_down,_

_down._

Conner looked down at Robin, hearing the boy's increased heart rate easily with his super hearing. He was just about to ask what was wrong when Robin jumped to his feet. M'gann looked up at the boy as he bolted from the room, his footsteps making almost no noise.

"What's the matter?" M'gann asked, her voice full of worry. She got up from her chair and made to follow Robin but Wally put an arm out.

"I got him," he said quietly.

"But what's wrong? Why's he been acting so weird lately?" Conner pressed, folding his arms.

"I can't tell you guys. It has to do with his ID. I'm sorry, that's all I can say," Wally said, throwing caution to the winds, and then zipped off after his best friend.

"Wait, you know his identity?" Artemis asked, awakening in time to hear Wally speak.

But Wally was already gone.

* * *

><p>Wally found Robin in his room again. He ran through the doors to see Robin kneeling by his bed.<p>

"Rob?" he said, quickly joining Robin in his position next to the bed. The Boy Wonder was breathing even faster than he had been in the recreation room, almost to the point of hyperventilation.

"I k-keep seeing it, Wally," Robin whispered suddenly, turning to look at the redhead next to him. "I k-keep seeing them f-fa-fa-" His voice faltered and Wally hugged the boy for the second time that day.

"Shh," he said soothingly. Robin had started to cry quietly. "I'm right here, okay? It's gonna be alright."

"I'm-I'm s-sorry," Robin said between sobs.

Wally looked at Dick in bemusement, still hugging him.

"I shouldn't h-have came h-here, I don't k-know what I w-was thinking, I told B-Bruce n-not to worry, I-," Robin gasped, holding on to Wally's shirt with his fists, and Wally cut him off.

"You don't need to apologize, 'kay?" he said, rubbing Robin's back again.

"B-but what-what am I going t-to do at n-night?" Robin whispered, regaining some self-control.

Wally did not need to ask what he meant. He knew the boy had nightmares all the time; the first time Dick had slept over at his Uncle Barry's house, Wally had awoken to the sound of Dick screaming. Barry had rushed in and gathered Dick in a hug, shushing him as he explained everything to a very confused fourteen year-old Wally. Wally could only imagine how bad the nightmares would be on _the _day.

"We'll all be here for you," Wally said now, pulling back to look directly at Robin. "They don't have to know your identity, but they'll still be there, alright?"

Robin sniffled and nodded, wiping at his face again and Wally thought of how much Robin seemed like a normal child now, like the child he was.

"What are you going to tell them?" Robin asked, his voice stronger now.

"Uh-let me worry about that. Don't worry," Wally added as Robin opened his mouth. "I promise not to give away anything important. I wouldn't dare to face the wrath of Daddy Bats."

Robin laughed lightly and Wally grinned, happy that he had at least cheered up his friend a bit.

He glanced at the digital clock that sat on the small bedside table. The red numbers read half past six.

"So, what are you going to do? Do you feel up to going back with the team?" Wally asked, standing up.

"I-I think I'd better not," Robin admitted. Wally nodded understandingly.

"It's okay," he reassured Robin. "I'll tell them that you…uh…that you…Ya know what, don't worry about it. Just do whatever you need to."

"Okay," Robin said softly. "Thanks, Wally."

Wally offered Robin another grin and then left the room, trying to come up with some sort of explanation for the teens he had left behind.

* * *

><p>"Is Robin alright?" M'gann asked once Wally had returned to the rec room.<p>

Wally opened his mouth to respond but Artemis interrupted him.

"What is wrong, exactly? I've never seen him so out of it," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Guys…" Wally whined, his mind racing with things that he could and couldn't say.

The team stared at him, waiting.

Wally let out a mouthful of air. "Alright…look, I don't know how much I can reveal without giving away his ID-yes, I know who he is," he added quickly as Artemis opened her mouth again. "He's been my best friend for a while; he told me when he was eleven. Anyway…um…see, the reason he became Robin…he…ugh, I don't know how to say this!" Wally burst out. He took another deep breath, calming himself.

"Guys…he's- Robin is- he's an orphan."

M'gann gasped loudly, her hands flying to her mouth. Artemis' mouth fell open and she stared at Wally with disbelieving eyes. Kaldur's eyes widened, concern evident on his face. Superboy's facial features did not change, but his whole body visibly tensed.

Wally cleared his throat uncomfortably and went on. "Tomorrow is the day that-that they…you know," he said, shifting. "And there's something else- Robin saw it-saw it happen. He was right there."

M'gann was crying silently by now. Conner's hands curled into fists and Artemis gasped this time. Then Kaldur spoke.

"What was it about the movie that made him react in such a way?" he asked.

"It brought up a bad memory. I can't say anything else," Wally said, feeling uneasy at how close he was getting to revealing as to how Robin's family had died.

"Where is he now?" M'gann whispered, sympathy for the team's youngest saturating her mind.

"In his room," Wally replied, walking over to the sofa and sitting down.

"Should we- should we go and check on him, or something?" Conner asked, lacking the social knowledge as to what to do on such a terrible day for someone.

"Nah. He'll probably want to be alone for a bit, that's understandable. And while we're on this subject…Robin has nightmares about- about it. And they're really…really graphic. So, don't be- don't be surprised if you hear…screaming, tonight. He was worried about what you guys would think about that," Wally said, looking up at the team.

M'gann wiped her tears away, shaking her head. "No. Of course not."

There was a rather awkward moment of silence.

"Soooo…anyone gonna make dinner?" Wally said, wiggling his eyebrows at M'gann.

Kaldur smiled slightly as Artemis snorted with disgust.

"You just had like six bowls of popcorn."

Being the fifteen year-old that he was, Wally stuck his tongue out at the blonde. "Metabolism! How many times do I have to say it?"

M'gann giggled and floated into the kitchen. "I went out yesterday and bought ingredients for a chicken potpie **(AN: I don't eat American food at my house, so I really could not think of any other dish :p)**, does that sound okay, Wally?"

Wally winked. "Anything made by you will be delicious, babe."

M'gann set about preparing dinner, Artemis assisting her, as Conner set off for the gym, mumbling about training. Kaldur departed for yet another swim and Wally lounged on the sofa, picking up the television remote and flicking through the channels until settling on some re-run of a show that he had never heard about.

After about an hour, M'gann asked Wally to call Kaldur and Superboy for dinner. Wally saluted the girl and ran off, returning a few seconds later.

"They're on their way," he said, sitting down on one of the stools at the island. He sniffed the air deeply as Artemis slowly removed the hot pie from the oven.

"It smells soooo good," he moaned dramatically. "Can we eat now?"

"Wait for everyone, Kid Chub," Artemis snapped back.

Wally groaned again as Conner and Kaldur entered the kitchen. M'gann poured water out into everyone's glasses. Then, a sudden thought hit her.

"Shouldn't we see if Robin wants dinner?" she asked worriedly. "Wally said he didn't have breakfast and he didn't come out for lunch either."

Everyone turned to Wally. The redhead scrunched his eyebrows together.

"Yeah, we should. You guys start eating, I'll go ask," he said, getting up and running to Robin's room for the third time that day.

* * *

><p>Wally paused outside of Robin's door again, getting a strong feeling of déjà vu. He was about to call out for Robin again until he heard music coming from inside. He smiled, grateful that Robin had lightened up enough to play music.<p>

He walked through the doors to see Robin sitting cross-legged on his bed. He appeared to have showered; his ebony hair was slightly damp and he was now wearing a tight black t-shirt and a fresh pair of gray sweatpants along with black socks. His lounge-wear clashed with the mask over his eyes.

The Boy Wonder's laptop sat open on his right, Foster the People's _Houdini* _playing softly. Robin had two calculus textbooks open on either side of him and a red notebook rested on his lap, in which he was scribbling numbers that Wally could never hope to make sense of.

Robin looked up as Wally entered and smiled slightly, going back to his work.

"Hey, Rob. Whatchya up to?" he asked, peering over Robin's shoulder to look at one of the textbooks.

"Hi, Wally. I thought I'd finish calculus while I was here," Robin said, his face screwing up in concentration for a moment before he wrote down another answer.

"You don't even have a calculator!" Wally exclaimed, looking over the bed. The only other things on it were a few pencils, a ruler, and a black backpack. **(AN: I'm not sure if you **_**can**_** do calculus w/o a calculator, even if you're a genius; while I am in advanced math, I take geometry right now so I have no idea about calculus :o)**

"Don't need one," Robin muttered, moving onto his next set of problems.

Wally shook his head in amazement. "Well, M'gann made dinner and she wanted to know if you were hungry."

Robin wrote down another answer as he answered steadily. "Nah."

"Come on, Rob! You didn't eat anything all day!" Wally protested.

"Did to. I had an apple this morning," Robin replied.

"That doesn't count," Wally pouted, but he did not push the topic.

"It does in my book. You go ahead, Wally, the others are probably waiting for you," Robin said, putting his pencil down and flexing his tired fingers. He looked up at Wally, an eyebrow raised. The ginger pouted again but left, albeit reluctantly.

Robin sighed as the doors of his room slid shut. He gave one last glance at the math homework in front of him before gathering all of it up and putting it back inside of his bag, giving it up as a bad job. He sat back against his pillows for a moment before leaning forward and carefully extracting a folded up poster from the innermost pocket of his backpack.

Slowly, Robin unfolded the poster, laying it out in front of him.

The poster was a faded red and yellow. Words were splayed boldly across the top of it: _The Flying Graysons!_ There were six people silhouetted on the paper, their only distinguishing feature the feather-like design on their leotards. Their arms were stretched out in front of them, as if they were flying.

Robin sighed again, fingering the people's bodies. Memories came flooding into his mind and he shut his eyes tightly, crying for the umpteenth time that day.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for the meal. You both prepared it very well," Kaldur said, picking up his plate and bringing it over to the sink.<p>

M'gann glowed happily as she joined Kaldur at the sink, bringing her and Artemis' plates too.

It was now around eight-thirty. The team had eaten in a rather awkward manner, feeling uneasy without the presence of their baby bird and because of the reason that Robin was not present.

Wally finished his fourth slice of pie and set his fork down. He rubbed his non-existent stomach as he stood up. "That was sooo good," he said, putting his plate in the sink as well.

M'gann thanked him as Artemis pursed her lips, glancing in the direction of Robin's room.

"Are you sure he doesn't want to eat?" she asked. "He hasn't come out of there all day."

"He said he didn't want to. I didn't want to push him," Wally replied uncomfortably. There was yet another moment of awkward silence.

Then, Conner got off his stool. He put his plate in the sink and gave M'gann a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'm going to bed," he announced, walking off towards his room.

"What? It's only, like, eight-thirty!" Wally exclaimed.

"And your point is…?" Conner deadpanned.

Wally shook his head. "Never mind. 'Night."

Kaldur washed his own plate and dried it, placing it on the counter. "I think I am going to retire for today as well," he said, nodding to the three remaining people. "Good night."

Once Kaldur left, Wally tried to make a run for it, not wanting to help with the dishes.

Artemis grabbed hold of his arm. "Oh no, you don't. Washing just your own plate _won't_ kill you," she sneered.

Wally stuck his tongue out again and ran to the sink. Within a few seconds, he had washed all of the dirty plates.

"All done, beautiful!" he said, winking at the Martian. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, Wally!" M'gann said.

"So, you two aren't sleeping yet, are you? The night is young and so are we!" said Wally excitedly.

"Actually, I think I am," M'gann admitted and Wally deflated. "Good night!"

The Martian floated off, yawning, leaving Wally alone with the archer.

The two fifteen year-olds made their way into the rec room.

"You a night-owl, Arty?" asked Wally curiously. "You don't seem tired like the rest of those party-poopers."

Artemis shook her head, sitting down in the armchair. "I can't sleep- not after you told us what's wrong with Robin."

Wally pursed his lips, sitting down on the sofa again, turning to face the blonde. "Yeah- he gets like this every year since I've known him," he said.

Artemis shook her head again. "I would- I would never have thought that he went through such a terrible past. He always seems so…happy."

Wally nodded. "I know what you mean. But he's been able to cover it…his sadness, I mean. But tomorrow is the one day that he can't control how he feels. I mean, who could?" he said.

"And- and you said that he _saw _it? He saw his own parents die?" whispered Artemis.

_And his aunt…and cousin…and basically his uncle too,_ Wally thought bitterly. _And they didn't just die…it was murder._

"Yeah…yeah, he saw it all," Wally responded slowly. "That's the major reason for Robin having nightmares…speaking of which, I wonder if he's asleep yet," he added, looking at his wristwatch. "I know for a fact he gets like three hours of sleep everyday and he woke up pretty early today, according to Kaldur."

Artemis shrugged. "Do you want to check on him?"

"Yeah. I should, probably," Wally admitted, standing up. Artemis did the same.

They walked to the bedrooms together. Once the two reached Artemis' door, she shifted.

"I-I don't want to intrude…maybe you should check on him alone," she said. "I'm going to get ready for bed."

Wally nodded. "I get it…g'night, Arty." He grinned and winked at the girl.

Artemis actually blushed slightly, walking into her room with a wave.

Wally continued to Robin's room. It was between Kaldur's and his own.

He knocked once he arrived and waited for a moment. Silence came from the other side of the door.

Wally walked through the door and smiled slightly at the sight he saw **(AN: Lol, alliteration)**.

Robin was lying on his bed, curled up into a tiny ball. His hair was falling into his face, covering part of his mask. His lips were slightly parted and soft snuffling snores came from them. The red covers were kicked away from his body. After closer examination, Wally saw that Robin was clutching the _Flying Graysons_ poster to his chest.

Sighing sadly, Wally moved forward and carefully extracted the poster from Robin's grip. He folded it back up and put it away in the black backpack that was on the floor next to the bed. Straightening up, he saw that Robin was shivering slightly.

Wally took the comforter and brought it up to Robin's shoulders, tucking it around his small body gently. Tenderly, he brushed back the younger's black bangs.

Robin stirred slightly. "Wally…?"

"Shh...Go back to sleep," Wally whispered.

"'K…" Robin slurred, closing his eyes again.

Wally chuckled and exited the room, making a beeline for his own bedroom.

He entered the room and stretched his arms out over his head. The speedster's room was a light yellow color and rather untidy. His bed was unmade, the blue covers wrinkled and bundled up at the foot of the bed, and various articles of clothing lay strewn across the floor. There were a few unopened protein bars resting on the small computer desk in the corner of the room. A periodic table was tacked up on the wall adjacent to the one that his bed was pushed against.

Yawning, Wally made his way over to his closet and rifled through it, extracting a pair of black basketball shorts and a baggy red t-shirt. He pulled both things on and tossed the removed clothing into the corner of his room. Then, he zipped across the hall to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Walking out of the bathroom, Wally paused outside of Robin's room, listening for any sounds of distress coming from his best friend.

_Nah…it's too early right now…they usually start after he's been asleep for a while, _Wally thought, referring to Robin's nightmares.

He returned to his room and turned the lights off before flopping onto his bed. His body was tired but his mind was not.

All he could think of was his baby brother, what he had been through in his thirteen years of life.

Losing his family to a mobster, _seeing_ them fall to their deaths, facing the fact that his uncle was permanently in a comatose state, and being thrown into Gotham Juvenile Detention Facility because of the lack of interest from the social workers… Wally shuddered, shaking his head as he stared at the dark ceiling.

He could not understand how his best friend put up a brave face every day, laughing and joking, seeming at ease with life. Not only that, he was the _Boy Wonder._ He had dedicated his life to helping others at the mere age of nine.

These thoughts and ones akin to them swam around in Wally's mind until finally, at around ten o'clock, he fell asleep.

* * *

><p>It happened at around midnight.<p>

Wally woke up to the sound of Robin screaming.

He jerked awake, scrambling out of bed clumsily as he sprinted to Robin's room. He almost crashed into the doors in his haste to get to his best friend.

The Boy Wonder was writhing on his bed. Screams erupted from his throat. Long, agonizing, pitiful screams, each new one more painful to hear than the last.

"No! No! NO!" Robin screamed, his eyes still shut tight.

Wally zoomed over to the bed and sat down, immediately pulling his best friend to his chest.

"Robin, Rob! You're okay, buddy. You're okay!" Wally said, trying to make himself heard over Robin's yells. He knew that nothing he would do would make Robin stop screaming, but he always tried.

"No! Please, don't- DON'T!" Robin shrieked, writhing in Wally's hold.

Wally's gut twisted horribly as Robin continued screaming. At that moment, the rest of the team entered the dark room, Artemis turning on the bedside lamp. A soft golden glow was cast over the two boys on the bed and the other teens got a better look of the situation.

Wally was holding onto Robin tightly, the younger boy practically in Wally's lap. Their little bird was screaming, screaming with pain and fright.

M'gann, clothed in a black knee-length nightgown, was already crying silently. She stood back, overwhelmed by Robin's feelings of loss and grief. Conner was wearing black pajamas and a horrified expression. He had never seen Robin this upset. He had never seen Robin upset, period. Kaldur and Artemis stood side by side, the girl dressed in a cropped white t-shirt and black shorts and the boy in a set of blue pajamas. They had identical looks of sympathy and uncertainty on their faces.

"Please, PLEASE!" Robin screamed again, and tears started running from under his domino mask. Wally shushed him fruitlessly, rubbing his back.

"Auntie Karla**…John…U-uncle Rick…_Mamica…Tati…_Don't go! Please, don't go! Don't leave me! PLEASE!" Robin shrieked, and now his screams were punctured with sobs. Wally stroked his hair as Robin started to shake.

M'gann could not bear to stand there any longer and not do anything. Moving forward, she sat next to Wally and took Robin from his arms, cradling his upper body gently.

"Shh…shh, Robin. We're all right here," M'gann whispered through her own tears. She pressed Robin's head to her chest, running her hand through his soft ebony hair slowly. Wally held Robin's hand and rubbed soothing circles onto the back of it.

Artemis jerked out of her stupor and moved forward too. She kneeled in front of M'gann and Robin and took Robin's other hand gently in hers. "Robin," she soothed as he let out another scream. "Calm down, you're okay. We're right here."

Robin appeared to still be asleep, oblivious to the comforting words of his friends. His screams died down, being replaced by gasps.

"Please, don't die…don't die…you c-can't go yet, _please_," he moaned, twisting again. M'gann hugged him tighter.

Kaldur moved near Robin now, Conner behind him. The Atlantian placed a gentle hand on the younger boy's arm.

"Robin…wake up," he said kindly. "You are alright."

Conner pursed his lips as he too kneeled next to Robin, glaring at Wally. "You didn't tell us that his aunt and uncle were killed too. And whoever John is," he said.

Wally looked more uncomfortable than any of them had ever seen him. "Look, guys, I can't tell you _everything_," he explained. "He trusts me with his ID, I don't want to make him regret it."

Superboy frowned and looked at Robin, unsure as to what to do.

_I'm always complaining about Superman not paying attention to me, not acting like the father he is. Robin doesn't even _have_ a dad._

"Should we wake him up?" he asked. He didn't like seeing the little bird so depressed. It was unnatural.

"Yeah, that'd be best," Artemis said, scooting closer to the bed.

Wally acted first.

"Rob…wake up, buddy. Please, wake up. We're all here for you," he whispered, shaking Robin's shoulder gently.

Robin moaned again and M'gann wiped his tears away tenderly.

"Robin," Wally called again, louder this time. "Wake up, you're okay! We promise! Wake up!"

Robin stirred and Wally took the little bird back into his arms. "That's it…wake up, Rob. It'll be better if you wake up, okay?" he said. He moved towards the center of the bed, leaning back against the headboard and pulling Robin's body up with him.

The whites of Robin's mask appeared slowly.

"Wally?" he whispered, tears running slowly down his cheeks.

"Yeah…I'm here, Robin. And so is everyone else," Wally said gently, wiping Robin's tears away with his thumb.

Robin gave a shuddering gasp as his eyes opened fully. He breathed heavily for a moment before speaking again.

"Wally?" he whispered for the second time.

"Yes?" Wally whispered back, holding his little brother tightly.

"T-they're g-gone," Robin whispered, starting to shake slightly again. Wally squeezed Robin tighter as M'gann took his hand and the others joined Wally on the bed.

"I know, Robin. I'm sorry," Wally said softly.

Robin released a new set of tears as sobs tore from his throat. They were heartbreaking sobs, painful and grief-inducing to his friends.

The Boy Wonder sobbed into Wally's chest as the redhead held the ebony close.

"Shh…it's over, Rob," Wally whispered, nuzzling Robin's hair. "It's over."

The other teens got situated on the bed; they knew that they would not be returning to their rooms that night. Artemis and Kaldur sat on either side of Wally, who still held Robin in his lap. M'gann and Superboy sat in front of them.

The room was silent save for Robin's poignant cries. Conner, Kaldur, M'gann, and Artemis all held onto some part of the crying boy as Wally rocked Robin back and forth gently.

"T-they're g-gone," Robin sobbed over and over again. The girls found their own eyes filling with tears as they watched the baby boy of the team.

"I'm sorry…" Wally said, rubbing Robin's back. "I'm sorry."

Robin cried for what seemed like hours to the team, but in reality, it was about forty-five minutes. The tears kept coming until Robin could cry no more.

The tears subsided and Robin was left with gasps and sniffles.

"You okay, Rob?" Wally asked softly, still rubbing his best friend's back.

Robin shook his head and snuggled into Wally's chest, holding onto his t-shirt tightly.

"I'm s-sorry I w-woke all of y-you up," he stuttered.

"Do not apologize, my friend," Kaldur said, leaning over to stroke Robin's hair lightly. "We had no idea that today is such a grievous day for you."

No one said anything for a few minutes. Then, Artemis spoke, her voice holding a fair amount of cautiousness and uncertainty.

"Do- do you want to talk about it? Will that help?" she asked gently.

Robin did not respond right away, trying to catch his breath. "I w-want to b-but I-with m-my identity-I-I-" Robin broke off, new tears escaping from under his mask. His body began to shake again and Artemis felt terrible for saying anything at all.

"It's okay, Robin," M'gann said, planting a gentle kiss on Robin's cheek, wiping his tears as she pulled away. "We understand if you can't tell us, alright? Don't worry about it."

Conner glanced at the digital clock that sat on the bedside table. It was one-thirty in the morning. "Do you want to go back to sleep?" he asked.

"'M scared to," Robin said, and the others noted the soft slur in his voice; the boy was exhausted. "I don't wanna see it...again..."

"Hey," Wally said gently. He laid Robin down, pulling the covers over his shaking body. "It's okay, we'll be right here. Try to sleep."

Again, Robin hesitated before speaking again.

"You- you won't leave?" Robin whispered, his eyes already closing slowly behind his mask, a few last tears escaping them.

To everyone's surprise, Conner leaned forward this time to wipe Robin's tears away with the back of his hand, gently, as if afraid that he would break the younger ebony. Who knew the Boy of Steel could be so caring?

"No. We promise," he said, feeling an odd sense of protectiveness for the little bird.

There was another short silence during which they thought that Robin had finally fallen asleep. Then-

"Guys?" Robin asked softly. "Thank you…" His eyes closed fully and soon enough, soft, adorable snores filled the room.

M'gann gushed over how cute Robin looked when he was asleep as Wally laid down next to Robin. Artemis laid next to Wally and M'gann moved to sit on the floor, putting her arms on the bed and resting her head on them. Kaldur brought the desk chair over to the bed and sat in it as Conner laid his head on the pillow on Robin's other side. Eventually, the older teens fell asleep, one after the other.

Robin woke up twice, both times crying and whimpering. Conner and Artemis would hold his hands as M'gann kissed his forehead. Kaldur and Wally hushed him softly.

After tossing and turning for a while, Robin would fall back into slumber.

This time, though, he did not wake up again. Instead, he dreamed of his teammates- in essence, his new family.

He had lost his mother and father, along with his aunt and cousin. His uncle would never be able to speak to him again.

But he had others. He had Bruce. He had Alfred. And now, he had Wally, M'gann, Kaldur, Artemis, and Conner.

And he knew that he always would.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Fffff, yeah, the ending sucked. Bad. I couldn't think of how to end it.<strong>

***My favorite song from my favorite band; you should check it out, it's amazing ;)**

****So, most of you guys told me that Dick's aunt's name is Karla, sooo, yeah ;) Not sure if it's correct, though.**

**Again, I might re-post this as a chapter story if it doesn't get too many reviews. That statement doesn't make much sense, does it?**

**Anyway, please review! And if you spot any mistakes, please tell me in your reviews so I can fix 'em! Thanks!**

******More reviews= quicker update for Sacrifice :D******

**~Zara**


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